


Coulson

by Kaunis_Sielu



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-08
Updated: 2017-12-08
Packaged: 2019-02-12 02:29:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 7,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12949350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaunis_Sielu/pseuds/Kaunis_Sielu





	1. Chapter 1

It’d been a normal day. The sun was shining, there was a slight fall breeze and class had been let out early. It was a good day. Then they’d shown up. Her with her black jeans, red shirt and leather jacket. Him with his grey shirt, blue jeans and black jacket. You’d known who they were immediately. And who’d sent them.   
“Miss Coulson?” He says his voice calm and rich.   
“I think you have the wrong person.” You lie trying to brush past them only to have your path blocked by her. The infamous Black Widow. Yea, you weren’t gonna win this fight.   
“That’s funny.” He deadpanned, “Because you look just like the girl in the picture I was given.” He shows you the picture and you stare at it for a second.   
“I don’t see it. It’s the hair. It’s all wrong.” He frowns down at you then crosses his arms over his rather impressive chest.   
“Miss Coulson.”  
“Ms.” You correct him. Again starting away from the center of campus. Too many people are staring.   
“Alright then, Ms. Coulson.” He says following you away from the center of campus. “We have direct orders from your brother to bring you in.”  
“I don’t have a brother.” You lie again. You know he probably sent them but neither of them have given you the code phrase and you hate when Phil just summons you out of the blue like this so you’re being difficult.   
“Ms. Coulson. My name is Steve Rogers and this is my partner Natasha Romanoff our director Phil Coulson sent us to get you. A man glances over at the name Phil Coulson and you look wide-eyed at Natasha.   
"Oh you’re being a pain in the ass cuz of the code phrase.” Natasha says, “carpe noctem.” She whispers into your ear as the man stands and comes toward you.  
“We should move.” You tell her and she drops a little disk and wraps and hand around your arm. The man steps over the disk and you hear him grunt.   
“Keep moving.” Steve says taking your hand as Natasha lets go of your arm. “Act natural.” He mutters into your ear, you’re on high alert with him this close to you. Two other men come toward the three of you and Steve murmurs, “Go, black car two blocks down on the right.” You take off at a sprint as one of them reaches for you only to be kicked in the chest by Natasha. He goes flying back as Steve throws the other man. Three more come sprinting toward you, one grabbing your arm. You duck and twist out of his grasp then connect your fist to his right cheekbone. You kick him in the knee causing it to shatter.   
“You bitch!” He screams as he falls to the ground in agony.   
“I don’t play jackass. You come at me I’m gonna repay the favor.” You punch him again knocking him out.   
“Go!” Steve grabs your arm and tugs you along. You hear a grunt from behind you and glancing over your shoulder you see Natasha running after the two of you. “This car.” Steve says and you yank open the passengers side door in the front and dive in. Steve gets into the drivers seat and starts the car as Natasha swings into the backseat.   
“You’re pretty badass aren’t you.” She says relaxing into the seat.   
“I am a Coulson.” You tell her pulling your phone from your pocket.   
“You shouldn’t use that.”  
“It’s a S.H.I.E.L.D. issued one.” You tell him. “Where exactly are we going?”   
“To the Homebase. To your brother.” Steve says as he speeds through the streets.


	2. Chapter 2

“Really Phil? Was that necessary?” You demand arms folded tightly across your chest. “You couldn’t have been a bit less obvious? You just had to send The Star Spangled Man with the Plan and the Queen of Assassins? 70% of the girls on campus want to thank him for his service and the other 30% want to thank her!”  
“70% and 30% huh?” Phil muses, only half listening.  
“Rough estimate.” You snap.  
“Which percent do you fall under?” A man quips from the doorway. You glare over and see one Tony Stark with his hands in his pockets and a smirk on his face.  
“I have no problem punching Ironman. Be warned.” You tell him angrily. You have no interest in making friends right now. May comes stalking into the room and directly for you. She lashes out with her right arm and you block her, you kick only to have her catch your leg and twist you onto the ground. You hit it with a thud but roll quickly out from under her and use your feet to throw her back off of you. She stumbles back and you scurry to your feet. She catches your arm in a twist that you don’t know how to counter so you catch her foot with your own and throw her off balance. Her chest is pressed to your back and you duck down and try to throw her but she takes you down with her. You hit the ground again this time knocking the wind out of you. She puts a knee in the center of your back and you let out a small grunt. But refuse to tap out.  
“I’ve never seen a newbie last that long against May.” Tony says sounding impressed from the doorway.  
“You gonna tap out?” May asks sounding bored.  
“Why would I give you the satisfaction?” You growl from the floor under her. She lets go and reaches a hand out for you. Pulling you to your feet she gives you a little nod and you know that you’ve passed whatever test she was giving you.  
“Now that May’s satisfied you wanna know why you’re here?” Your older brother asks. His parents had adopted you late in their lives, he was nearly 20 years older than you were and after your parents had died he’d became sort of like a father figure to you.  
“If you don’t mind Director Coulson.” You say in a slightly mocking tone. He may be the big bad boss here but to you he was still just your big brother. He didn’t get to give you orders. He shoots you an annoyed look and May smirks from behind him.  
“There’s been a threat against your life. His name is Grant Ward and he’s a jackass.”  
“You did this because of one guy?”  
“Obviously not one guy kiddo. Steve told me you were attacked by six on campus.”  
“So how does Ward have so many followers?”  
“He’s a convincing son of a bitch and extremely dangerous.”  
“So how long am I in lock up?”  
“Until he’s dead.” You’re slightly surprised by the anger in his voice. “He already killed a close friend of mine, Rosalind. I’m not losing you too Paige.” You sigh dramatically and drop down into the chair across from his desk.  
“Fine. I have to email all of my professors and give them an excuse though. Any suggestions?”  
“You’re in the hospital?”  
“I’ll need a doctor’s signature.”  
“I have just the girl.”  
“Of course you do.”


	3. Chapter 3

“Paige, this is Jemma. She’s our resident doctor.” Phil says introducing you to the geek chic doctor. “Jemma this is my sister Paige.” Her eyes go wide before she smiles.   
“Hello.” She has a soft voice and a charming British accent.   
“Hi. I hear you’re the woman who can help me get a doctors note.”  
“What seems to be the problem?”  
“Well, I don’t want to fail my classes and someone is refusing me to let me go back to school.” You eye your brother in annoyance.  
“Oh, so nothing is actually wrong? That’s a relief.” She gives you a smile that you return.   
“Alright Phil you can go. I’ll come back to your office when I’m finished getting my check up. Gotta stay current on those health concerns.” You shoo him from the room then turn on Jemma. She looks slightly nervous and you laugh. “Don’t worry I just wanted to get rid of him.” She laughs lightly and you drop down into one of the chairs. “It’s alright if I sit here right?”  
“Yea.” She grabs a pad and scribbles down a note saying that you’re going to be in the hospital due to a car accident. You scan the note and send it to all of your professors letting them know that you’ll be able to stay up on the coursework but unable to attend classes. Luckily, since you’ve got a good record your professors are okay with the situation and agree to send you the power points. One of your professors even offers to come visit you, you decline telling him that you’re going to be moved to a facility closer to home in California.   
“So.” You say leaning back into the chair, “What’s it like working for my brother?”  
“It’s lovely. Really.”  
“I’m not going to tell him what you say if that’s what you’re worried about.”   
“No it’s really lovely. He and May work well, our team is solid and yes, things are changing but we’re all handling it as a team. Director Coulson is a good leader, he trusts us and I’m extremely grateful for that. Would you like to meet the rest of the team?”  
“Please!” You say standing and following her to the door. Your boots loud on the hard floor.   
“Nah Turbo.” A deep voice says.   
“But if you’d amp it up-” Another accented voice says, he’s not British.   
“I know but I don’t think the circuitry could handle it.” You step into the opening of the largest plane you’ve ever seen and the two men peer around Phil’s pride and joy Lola.  
“This is Leo Fitz, Fitz and Mack. Guys this is Paige Coulson.”  
“Coulson? Like Director Coulson Coulson?” The smaller man, Fitz says.   
“Yea. He’s my older brother.” You say with a small smile.   
“Well. Welcome to S. H. I. E. L. D.” Mack says reaching out a hand to shake yours.   
“I’m not joining I’m actually being held captive for my own protection.”  
“From who?” A female voice joins the conversation from behind you.   
“Daisy Johnson, I heard we had fresh meet.” She smirks at you and you can’t help the chuckle that escapes your lips.   
“Some dude named Grant Ward.” The room goes silent as they all look at one another. “What?”  
“What do you know about Ward?” Jemma asks quietly.   
“Only that he’s bad news.” You tell her then look from one of them to the next. “Alright. What am I missing?”


	4. Chapter 4

“Ward was one of us.” Jemma explains tentatively. She looks first at Fitz then at Daisy before continuing. He was good at his job, but unfortunately he was also Hydra. We had a much smaller team than we do now, it was just Coulson, May, Daisy, Fitz, Ward and myself. So the betrayal was that much worse.“  
"How bad did it get?” You ask quietly.   
“He kidnapped Daisy and tried to kill Fitz and I.”   
“Don’t forget that he tried to kill May with his bare hands.” Fitz mutters angrily.   
“I heard he killed another woman recently.”  
“Rosalind Price. Yea.” Mack says quietly.   
“I’m sorry.” You tell them, looking down at your hands. You didn’t mean to be such a buzzkill.   
“It’s alright. We’re gonna get the bastard.” Fitz says and you can’t help the smile that tugs at your cheeks. “What?” He questions.   
“It’s nothing. You sound so badass when you say it.”   
“That we’re gonna get the bastard?” He asks with a smirk and you actually giggle instantly lightening the mood.   
“Paige?” A male voice calls and you recognize it immediately. Steve. Both Jemma and Daisy go wide eyed and slack jawed as the super solider walks up the ramp.   
“Be cool ladies.” You mutter, a smile on your face. “What’s up Steve?”  
“Let me know when you’re ready to go.” He says putting his hands in his pockets and leaning against the black SUV.   
“Why?” You ask him, why would he care when you’re leaving?  
“Because, I’ve been assigned to your protection detail.”  
“Excuse me?” You stare at him in surprise.   
“I’m going with you to the safe house.”  
“Why?”  
“To protect you.” He furrows his brow and you’re pretty sure that he thinks you’re stupid.   
“No, I got that what I mean is why you? Isn’t that a bit of an overkill?”   
“Director’s orders.” He says with a shrug.   
“This is ridiculous.” You sigh before standing. Both Jemma and Daisy stand and catch you under the arms.   
“Just give us a second Captain.” Jemma says shooting him a smile as she and Daisy drag you into an enclosed area not far from where the group is sitting.   
“We just need to have a quick word with Paige.” Daisy smiles at him. You glance at Steve who looks completely bewildered, just about as bewildered as you feel.


	5. Chapter 5

“Okay what are you two doing?” You ask once the two women have dragged you around a corner and well out of earshot from the men.   
“Oh my god!” Jemma cries.   
“What is the matter with you?” Daisy asks giving you a punch in the shoulder.   
“Ow. What is the matter with me? What’s the matter with you two? Dragging me over here and punching me? Is this some sort of hazing ritual?” You ask gently rubbing your arm where Daisy had punched you.   
“You’re annoyed that you have to go be cooped up with Captain freaking America?” Daisy hisses sounding more than a little annoyed. “Have you looked at him lately?”  
“I mean honestly Paige.” Jemma says folding her arms over her chest, “Steve Rogers is incredibly attractive.”  
“I hear he likes Brits.” You tease her and her cheeks flush pink.   
“Do you really not see how lucky you are?” Daisy asks, “It’s just gonna be you and him. You’re gonna get lonely, he’s gonna get lonely.” She shoots you a wink and you snort.   
“Cooped up in a tiny little house, probably in the middle of nowhere. No internet, no cell phone, it’s going be rough.”  
“But you’re gonna be cooped up with STEVE. FRICKING. ROGERS. You should go for him.” Daisy huffs looking at you like you’re insane.   
“Okay, yes. He’s hot but he takes orders from my older brother. And he’s a little, safe.”  
“Sometimes safe is a good thing.” Daisy says quietly. You’ve struck a cord, unintentionally.  
“Sorry.” You murmur, shooting her an apologetic glance.   
“No. It’s fine. I’m just really good at picking bad men.”  
“Maybe you should let Jemma pick for you.” You offer with a smirk, instantly lightening the mood for the second time since you’d met her.   
“Maybe, but then I’d end up with someone just like Fitz.”  
“Ooh. Fitz huh Jemma?” You tease as her ears go red.   
“Wha- what are you talking about?” She stammers causing you and Daisy to laugh.   
“Someday you’ll understand.” Daisy teases wrapping an arm around a very annoyed Jemma’s shoulders. The three of you head back to where Fitz, Mack and Steve are talking. Steve raises a brow at you, he really is very attractive.   
“Everything alright?” He asks and you shoot him a smile, not going into details.   
“When does Phil want us out of here?”   
“Soon.” You nod sadly. You’ve only just met his team, only knowing May before your visit but you can tell you’re going to miss this bunch.   
“I guess that’s my cue.” You tell them forcing a smile, “Stay safe. And feel free to text me, snapchat, dm, anything, while I’m on my little, vacation.”   
“Stay safe.” Jemma says giving your arm a gentle squeeze. “And don’t forget what Daisy and I said.” You shoot her a mock glare then follow Steve to where an SUV is waiting. You both climb in the you buckle and curl into a little ball. Your phone buzzes in your hand and the screen says ‘Big Bro’  
Love you  
You too you type back quickly then sigh and close your eyes before falling asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

You don’t know how long you drive. You sleep for a while, waking as the sun is rising.   
“Do you want me to drive for a while?” You ask rubbing your eyes.   
“No. We’re almost there.” He says, he doesn’t even seem tired. You nod and he passes you a folder. “Your new identity, for now.”  
“Thanks.” You start reading the file.   
Danielle Evans. 27. Formerly Danielle Gregg. You had two siblings. A brother, Clark who was older and a sister, Mary who was younger. Your parents were Leon and Abby Gregg. It was a pretty accurate background, something that was helpful when having to learn a new background. It said that you were going to school to get your masters in teaching, again not a lie. The file didn’t say anything about your firearm training or hand to hand skill, so apparently you were going to be keeping that a secret. It doesn’t take long to memorize all of your new information. The hardest part is going to be remembering to answer to your new name.   
“In the glove box there’s also a ring for you.”  
“Excuse me?” You ask looking over at him. Why would you need a ring?   
“Finish reading the file.” He tells you with a little half shrug, “There’s a back page.” You open the file again and flip the thick paper over, marital status. Married. Christopher Evans. 32. Met in college at Penn State. From Brooklyn, NY. No living relatives. Your hands are suddenly sweating and your heart is racing. Why would Phil do this? Why would he have you be married to Steve, damn it, Christopher.   
“So do you want me to call you Christopher or Chris?”  
“What?”   
“That’s the name they picked for you.” You tell him with a shrug, “Christopher and Danielle Evans.”   
“Chris. Do you wanna go by Dani?”  
“No. Danielle.”   
“Have you ever been married before?”  
“I’ve only been in protective custody twice. The first time I was twelve. The second time I was fifteen. So no.”  
“Oh.” He pauses a minute then glances over at you, “You should put that ring on Paige. We’re almost there.”   
“I do know one thing,” you tell him as you slide the ring onto your finger. “It helps if you continue to use my new name even when we’re alone.”  
“Sorry Danielle.” He says raising a corner of his mouth at you.   
“It’s not a big deal Chris.” You say with a soft smile.


	7. Chapter 7

He pulls up to a nice, light blue house with a sold sign in front of it. It has an expansive front, the driveway is wide enough for three cars. The yard is green and looks so soft, it rolls up to a white front porch.   
“Woah.” You murmur and Ste- Chris, Chris laughs softly.   
“It’s a bit bigger than we need but I suppose it’s playing it’s part too.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“We’re supposed to be a young couple in love. We’d be looking to start a family.”   
“Oh.” You breathe, he’s right and you can feel the heat rising in your cheeks. “Let’s go check out the inside.” You tell him hopping out of the truck and meeting him in front of it. He wraps his hand around yours again and you swear you’ve died and gone to heaven before you remind yourself that he’s just doing his job. For your brother.   
“Let’s get inside.” Chris says lowly, glancing over his shoulder.   
“Everything okay?” You ask anxiously.   
“Yea.” He says pressing his lips to the top of your head. Damn it. He unlocks the front door and ushers you in, the first floor has an open floor plan. The living room has a gas fireplace at the center of the back wall and the dining room is left of the living room. There’s a bathroom and a bedroom on the wall to the left behind the staircase that leads to the basement. The kitchen is around the corner from the door and straight back from the dining room.   
“Wanna see what’s downstairs?” You ask him with a raised brow.   
“Sure.” He follows you down the flight of stairs and you’re pleased to find a full bar, pool table and couch with a large tv in front of it.   
“Oh hey, more bedrooms.” You say pushing open the door to one very empty room. “Or not.”  
“I can sleep on the couch.”  
“Don’t be like that.” You counter softly.   
“Like what?”  
“We’re both adults. I think we can manage sleeping in a bed for crying out loud.” You look over at him and see that his ears are tinged pink. “Unless it makes you uncomfortable.” You finish lamely.   
“No. No. It’s fine.” He assures you, there’s an awkward pause in the conversation. St-Chris goes to say something when the doorbell rings and you understand why he’s such a threat. He goes into protector mode, his body language shifts from relaxed to on guard, he seems to get bigger, not physically but in some form of the word. He holds a hand out to you then presses his watch.   
“What are you doing?”  
“Checking the camera but I can’t get it.”  
He growls. You make your way slowly to him then swipe the screen to the left. Sure enough security footage pops up of the front door. It’s a woman with her hair tied back and a pink tee and blue shorts on. She looks normal enough, she rings the bell again.   
“Neighbors?” You ask.   
“Yea.” Chris responds before heading up the stairs, you close at his heels. He pulls open the door and gives the woman a smile.   
“Oh hi there. Uh, I’m Susan. I live across the street and wanted to stop by and say hi. And welcome.”   
“I’m Chris and this is my wife Danielle.” Steve, damn it, Chris, says wrapping his arm around your waist. You give her a smile and shake her hand, you see a few more people wandering over and you just know this is going to be a long day.


	8. Chapter 8

You and Ste- Chris. Why do you keep doing that? You and Chris get along well. He’s the yin to your yang. You actually manage to forget that you’re under protective custody sometimes, the moments are few but they happen. It’s been nearly three months and you’ve had no action, its both a good as well as a bad thing. You can tell Chris is getting antsy and you honestly can’t blame him. He’s a man of action trapped in a cul-du-sac, it’s like caging a wild animal.   
He drops down onto the couch next to you with a heavy sigh.   
“You okay?” You ask with a smirk.   
“I’m good. Just, honestly, kind of bored.”   
“We could take a little trip?”   
“I don’t know, that doesn’t seem safe.” He counters glancing over at you.   
“Come on Steve. We hardly ever leave. Couldn’t we just go to a movie or something?” You beg, “I’m going stir crazy and I know you are too.”   
“Alright, alright fine. We can go see a movie.” He agrees and you let out a small squeal of excitement then throw your arms around his neck.   
“Thank god!” You say earning a laugh from him. His arm slides around your waist to keep you from falling off of him and the couch.   
“Is there something you wanted to see?”  
“That new Harry Potter movie, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.”  
“Harry Potter?” He asks.   
“The Boy Wizard?” You prompt, “His parents die and he has to live in the normal world? Doesn’t know he’s a wizard? Really? We are reading those books buddy.” You tell him pulling out your phone and ordering the first book. “Don’t worry, this movie won’t spoil anything.” You assure him as you search for showtimes.   
“Alright.” He agrees with a small smile.   
“6:00 work?”  
“How long is this movie?”  
“A little over two hours.”   
“Could we do a little earlier?”  
“Is that too late for you old man?” You tease and he gives you a small shove, small for him at least, it knocks you over.   
“It’s not that, it’s more the fact that by the time the movie is over it’ll be dark. I’d rather not be out after dark.”  
“Fine.” You say with a small huff which causes Chris to laugh again, you realize then that you’re still in his lap. You lean against him as casually as possible as you search for the closest movie theatre. “If we leave now we could make the 3:25 showing.”  
“Sounds good.” He says putting his hands on your waist he eases you off of his lap. You grab your purse and a sweatshirt, so you don’t freeze in the theatre.   
You make it to the theatre in time to get a popcorn and two pops and see all the previews. You’re halfway through the movie when the chills set in, you curl up in your seat to try and keep warm but it doesn’t help much. Unsurprisingly Chris notices and lifts the armrest between the two of you and wraps an arm around you. He pulls you flush against him and you sigh happily, his extra body heat successfully warms you up.


	9. Chapter 9

You wake up long enough to make your way back out to the truck but then you crash again as Chris drives home. You don’t wake up when he stops the truck, you don’t wake up when he unbuckles you or when he picks you up and carries you gently into the house. It’s only when he sets you down on the bed and moves away that you wake.   
“Chris?”   
“Yea.”   
“Make sure you turn on the security system.” You mumble as you roll onto your side. You really should take your jeans off but the bed is so soft. So warm. Why are you so tired?  
“I will sweetheart.” He’s never called you that before. You hum happily before your eyes drift shut.   
Something isn’t right! You bolt straight up in bed, your heart is pounding against your chest like it’s trying to escape. Everything is quiet. Steve- Chris is sleeping soundly next to you. He takes up so little of the bed for such a large man. You slip out of bed and head to the kitchen for something to drink, maybe some tea just to calm you down. You head out to the kitchen and quietly fill the kettle you keep on the stovetop. There’s only enough water for one cup of tea so the water doesn’t take long to heat. You can hear it bubbling so you slide off of the stool you’re on and pull out a tea bag and put it into your mug. You register the click a second too late, the cold metal presses against your neck.   
“Don’t fight me. I don’t want to have to kill you.” His low, calm voice says. You want to make a snappy retort but your heart is in your throat. The kettle starts whistling and you don’t make a move to get it off of the burner. Chris is a very light sleeper. “Take that off.” You move slowly, if you weren’t almost 100% positive he was Ward you’d throw the hot water on him and fight back but you’d read his file. Even with all your training you wouldn’t stand much of a chance against him.   
“Who-who are you?”  
“Oh come now. I know you know who I am.” He purrs. That’s when you see the most relieving sight you’ve ever seen. A very confused Chris coming out of your bedroom. He comes running toward you but the gun cocks and the man behind you snaps, “Stop.” He snarls and Chris does.   
“What do you want?” He asks, “Anything you want you can have it. Just let her go.”  
“That’s sweet Captain America.”  
“What?” You pretend you don’t know what he’s talking about. “His name is Chris. Chris Evans.”  
“Right.” The man says as he starts to pull you backwards and away from Steve. “You. Miss Coulson, are coming with me.”  
“My name isn’t Coulson.” You lie, “It’s Evans.”   
“Say another word and I’ll shoot him.” You nod, believing him. “Now Captain. I can’t have you coming after us.” He says it so calmly you don’t register what he means until he fires six shots into Chris’ body.   
“Chris!” Your voice breaks as your knees give out. “No! Chris! Chris!” You shriek, the tears streaming down your face. You try to get to him, try to help him but strong hands pull you away.   
“Take her.”


	10. Chapter 10

The next time you open your eyes you’re in a small room. It’s cold and dark and smells damp. The chair you’re in is made of metal that cuts uncomfortably into your biceps where they go around the back of the chair. They’ve used zip ties, which while effective aren’t the most secure item. The worst part is being alone. Chris isn’t here. You feel your heart lurch at the thought of him, blood sliding out of his wounds and onto the floor of the home you’d shared.   
The door creaks open and you flinch at the sudden light.   
“Miss Coulson.”  
“That’s not my name.”  
“Right. It’s Mrs. Evans.”  
“Ms.” You correct him and he sneers at you.   
“I honestly don’t give a shit what your name is. I know you’re the right person.”  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”  
“Where’s your brother?”  
“I’d guess where I last left him.” Ward looks at you expectantly, “St. Matthew’s Cemetery. Section D, plot 19, six feet under.” He snaps then and gets in your face.   
“Do I look like I’m playing games Paige?” It’s the first time you’ve heard your real name in months. It’s actually kind of strange. “Where is Phil?” You stare up at him in defiance.   
“I told you. You’ve got the wrong girl. My brother’s name was Clark. He was married to a woman named Ming-Na and he died in New York during the fucking Avengers fight with those creepy aliens.” You snap angrily.   
“Right.” Ward says sarcastically. “My bad. I kidnapped the wrong woman. Guess I’ll just have to kill you.” You sneer at him as he pulls his gun from the back of his pants. “Sorry it had to end like this for you Paige.” Before he pulls the trigger there’s a loud explosion. The slow smile that crosses his face chills you to the core. He stalks across the room until he’s behind you, you feel the blade slice through the zip ties.   
“What are you doing?” You ask as he takes a handful of your hair and pulls you up out of the chair.   
“Shut up. Move.” He sneers in your ear. Your heart is pounding, you’re not even sure whose here. Hydra has been splintered so just because they’re blowing holes into this facility doesn’t mean they’re good guys. He shoves you out the door and down a hallway, the gun pressed against your side. “Come out come out wherever you are Coulson!” He taunts. “I know you’re there!” There’s movement in the doorway and to your relief it’s not your brother. It’s Natasha.   
“Well, well, well. I didn’t know that Hydra needed to scrape the bottom of the barrel to get agents.“ She smirks as she leans against the doorframe. “You okay ma'am?” She asks her eyes meeting yours.   
“Been better.” You say tensely glancing down to where the gun is pressed to your side.   
“Your husband is real worried about you.” There’s a soft scrape from behind you and before Ward can react you throw and elbow into the arm that’s holding the gun causing it to fire and whizz harmlessly past your torso. You catch the wrist of his gun hand as Natasha hits him with one of her electronic darts. He crumbles to the floor, his body hitting the ground with a thud while you keep hold of his wrist. You take the gun from his hand, kick him in the ribs in retaliation for him kidnapping you, then look to Natasha.   
“Steve?” You ask anxiously. She gestures with her chin for you to turn around. When you do you see him standing there looking more than a little relieved, too pale but alive and moving. “Steve.” You breathe before practically sprinting into his open arms.


	11. Chapter 11

You wrap your arms tightly around his neck, the hard armor of his uniform rubs against the curve of your torso. He curls his arm around you, the one without the shield and buries his face in the crook of your neck.   
“You shouldn’t have come.” You chide softly into his hair as you gently stroke the back of his head.   
“I wasn’t going to leave you.”  
“You were shot.”  
“I heal quickly.” He argues and you hum softly.   
“I am glad to know you’re okay. I thought for sure-” Your voice breaks when you admit you thought he was dead.   
“I’m fine sweetheart. I’m okay.” He mutters, “It’s going to take more than that ass hole shooting me to take me out.”   
“Uh, guys? Can we continue this later?” Natasha asks sounding slightly anxious but mostly bored. “I mean we are still in a Hydra base and it is going to be blown up.”   
“Right.” Steve says snapping back into Captain America mode. “Danielle on my back.”  
“Paige,” you correct him with a smile, “And not a chance.”  
“I’m faster than you:”  
“And were just shot six times.” You argue.   
“I’m going to shoot you both myself if you don’t get a move on.” Natasha snarls and you look at her with wide eyes, not doubting for a second that she actually will. When you’re distracted by Natasha’s threat Steve scoops you up and takes off at a sprint.   
“Steven Grant Rogers!” You yelp in surprise earning a laugh from Natasha.   
“We don’t have much time to get back to the quinjet.” He says evenly, even though he’s sprinting. When you reach the quinjet he gently sets you down and turns away from you. He doesn’t turn fast enough and you see the flicker of pain cross his face. “Buck?” He grunts into his comm until.   
“Got Ward in the hold. He’s still out. Are we ready to fly?” Bucky’s voice comes from behind you.   
“Ready to fly.” Steve affirms. Bucky heads to the cockpit and gets the jet up and running.   
“Someone should stay with Ward.” You tell Nat and Steve before leveling Steve with a cool gaze when he faces you.   
“On it.” He says trying to keep the pain off his face but he’s more pale than usual too and that makes you even more anxious.   
“Nat.” You say keeping your eyes on Steve as you fold your arms across your chest   
“On it.” She says slipping past you and down the spiral staircase.   
“What did you do that for?” Steve asks. “In case you forgot I’m in charge here.”  
“Shut up and sit down Cap. Before you pass out.” You say gently despite your harsh words. Surprisingly he does as you ask and that’s when you see the growing red stain on the torso of his uniform. “Damn it.” You whisper before grabbing one of the first aid kits from the wall and hurrying over to him. “Can you get it off?” He looks a little dazed so you give him a little shake. “Steve.”  
“Hmm?”  
“You need to take the top of your uniform off. I have to stop the bleeding.” You’re pretty sure he ripped his stitches and as he slowly peels off the you see the damage Ward had done. You’re right. He ripped the stitches of two of the bullet holes. “How did you survive this?” You whisper as the tears gather at your eyelashes, you pull the rubber gloves on and get to work on stopping the bleeding. He jumps slightly when you press down on the one that’s bleeding the heaviest. “Sorry. God Steve this is all my fault.”   
“No. No it’s mine.” He says, one of his hands covering yours.   
“How could you say that? You did nothing wrong.”  
“I let them take you.”   
“You were shot six times. I know you’re a super solider but you’re still just a man. You’re not invulnerable.” You say softly, “I’ve got to stitch these up.”  
“You know how to do stitches?” He asks as you slide your hand out from under his.   
“Keep the pressure on it. Yea I do. I am a doctor after all.”  
“But you were in college.”  
“I really hate being a doctor. But SHIELD paid for everything with the assumption that’d I join up after school but then SHIELD fell so I went back to school debit free to become a teacher.”  
“You’re incredible.”  
“I don’t have a sedative.”  
“Don’t need it.” You glance up at his face to see how he’s holding up and are surprised by the intensity of the gaze he’s giving you. Those blue eyes trained on your face, you give him a soft reassuring smile then get to work.


	12. Chapter 12

He hardly moves as you stitch him up. His fist clenches a few times but that’s about it. You wipe the remaining blood off of his torso then throw anything with his blood on it into a biohazard bag before carefully peeling off your gloves. You tie off the bag and sit down as Steve disappears around a corner and when he comes back he’s in civilian clothes. He sits down next to you and to your surprise gently tugs you to him.   
“Those were the most painless stitches I’ve ever gotten. Do me a favor and do all my stitches from now on.” He says and you laugh softly.   
“It helps when you don’t want to hurt the person getting the stitches and it’s not a rush job.” You tell him honestly.   
“You were worried you’d hurt me?” He asks sounding, pleased.   
“I was poking you repeatedly with a needle where you’ve already been poked and shot so yea. I was worried about it.”   
“That’s sweet of you.” He says giving you a gentle squeeze. “So will you?”  
“Will I what?”  
“Continue to stitch me up when I get hurt.”  
“How often do you get shot?” You ask glancing up at him in surprise. He’s staring down with you with a small smile on his face. The look on his face is so tender that you almost forget to breathe.   
“We’re almost back to homebase.” Bucky calls from the front of the plane breaking the hypnotic trance Steve’s eyes seem to have you in. You burrow back into his side, careful not to hit any of his wounds. You stay there for the remainder of the flight, relaxed against him, it’s going to be strange not having him around all the time. When the plane lands the back opens almost instantly.   
“Paige!” Phil calls, sounding frantic as he stalks up the ramp.   
“I’m fine Phil. I’m fine.” You assure him as you move into his embrace. He wraps his arms tightly around you and you laugh softly. “I’m okay. Ward’s in the hold. We’re all alive.” You assure him calmly.   
“I’m glad it’s over. Thank you Captain.” Phil says over your head, still not fully letting go of you.   
“My pleasure Director. Miss Coulson.” You stare after him as he makes his way off the plane. He’s still moving gingerly and you know he’s sore.   
“I’m fine Phil I promise.” You say pulling away from your older brother.   
“Good. I have to deal with Ward. I don’t imagine you want to stick around for this.”   
“Not particularly. You really pissed him off.”  
“Yea, that tends to happen when you imprison someone for months then hand them over to their abusive sibling. Oh, and one of your team kills their girlfriend.”  
“Yikes.” You say softly before a yawn slips past your lips.   
“Go get some sleep.”  
“What time is it?” It’s been dark since they pulled you out of the building but that doesn’t tell you too much.   
“Around 3am.”  
“Woah. No wonder I’m exhausted.”  
“Third room from the left in bunker C is set up for you.”   
“Thanks.” You say giving his hand another squeeze then heading off to bunker C. It’s not hard to find it or the room, the bed is comfortable and there’s a pair of Phil’s sweatpants and a t-shirt laying on the bed for you but no matter what you do you can’t seem to get comfortable. You toss and turn for a while before, with a heavy sigh, you sit up and look at the directory list on the wall. 17B. You grab your pillow and shove your feet into slippers then make your way down to 17B. The light is off and you pause, staring at the door what if you’re not welcome? You bite your lip for a second before tapping the door lightly. There’s no hesitation. It opens immediately and a slow smile crosses his face. He steps aside and gestures you into his room shutting the door behind you.   
“Sorry for coming to bother you. I couldn’t sleep.” You say hardly daring to look at him.   
“I didn’t know what room you were in.” He admits softly, “I missed having you next to me. I think I sleep better knowing where you are.” He’s standing so close to you that you can feel the warmth radiating off of him. You look up at him and see that same look from the plane.   
“Steve.” You whisper and he breaks pressing his lips to yours like it’s the only thing he’s been thinking about for weeks.


	13. Chapter 13

You sleep curled up next to him. His arm wrapped around your shoulders and yours across his torso. You wake to his fingers sliding up and down your arm.   
“Morning.” You murmur glancing up at him.   
“Good morning beautiful.” He says with a smile those words make your heart sing. You prop yourself up on one arm and press your lips to his. There’s a thud on the door and Steve twists so your body is behind his. “Whose there?”  
“Coulson.”  
“One second Sir.” Steve slips out of bed and makes his way to the door, you follow him anticipating that Phil isn’t going to be too thrilled to find you in a man’s room. Even if you are 26, an adult, and the man is his idol. Steve pulls open the door and your brother is standing there looking anxious. “Yes Director?” He asks and that’s when Phil’s gaze meets yours.   
“Damn it Paige.” He groans.   
“What?” You ask wide-eyed.   
“You scared the hell out of me!”  
“Oh, sorry. I didn’t expect you to come check on me.” You say folding your arms across your chest, “I’m not a child anymore Phil.” You tell him gently.   
“I know. I still worry.”  
“I’m pretty sure it’s not possible for me to be in love with anyone more capable of keeping me safe.” As both Phil and Steve’s eyes widen you realize what you’ve said. Steve pushes the door shut in your brother’s face as a grin grows on his face.   
“You love me?” He breathes.  
“Uh.” You take a deep breath and look down at the floor. “Yea. I do.” You say softly. His hand cups your chin and tilts it so that your eyes meet his.   
“You have no idea how badly I wanted to hear you say that.” He murmurs before pressing a kiss to your jaw. “How long I’ve waited.”  
“How long?” You whisper as he presses another kiss to your throat.   
“Since you shattered that Hydra agents knee at your college.”   
“Woah.” You blurt in surprise and Steve laughs.   
“I didn’t want to get distracted while I was protecting you but you’re hard not to love.”  
“Did you just say you loved me?”  
“I did.” He confirms before wrapping his arms tightly around you and pressing his mouth to yours. He loved you.   
Phil was never going to stop taking credit for this one.


End file.
